GE Oil & Gas acquires telemetry technology from Sharewell

GE Oil & Gas has purchased a majority of proprietary electromagnetic telemetry (EM) technology and a fleet of EM tools from Sharewell Energy Services, a directional drilling solutions supplier for the oil and gas industry.

Since 2013, GE had served as the exclusive global distributor of the Sharewell Electro-Trac MWD equipment. The acquisition of Sharewell’s offerings will enable GE to further expand its Measurement While Drilling (MWD) portfolio and pursue additional growth opportunities based on the original 2013 EM global distribution agreement.

For example, GE will continue enabling customers to expand their businesses into areas where EM MWD is applicable and also improve their operating efficiencies by offering telemetry rates 10 to 20 times greater than conventional mud pulse-based MWD systems. GE’s purchase of most of the Sharewell portfolio also gives customers the option to rent the Electro-Trac EM system to meet their market demands.

“This agreement simplifies the relationship with GE and the large installed GE MWD customer base and gives operators the flexibility to meet both challenging drilling environments and market economics.”

New GE research centre will open next year

The Sharewell agreement comes on the heels of a groundbreaking ceremony that GE held for its new Global Research Centre (GRC) in Oklahoma City. The facility will be a hub for global oil and gas innovation and field testing of products to determine their commercial viability. Scheduled to open next year, the GE Oil & Gas Technology Center is part of GE's three year effort to triple research and development investment in the oil and gas industry.

The technology

The Electro-Trac EM system includes a rugged downhole assembly consisting of a gap-sub antenna package, an electronic assembly and a battery package. The system contains no moving parts. The surface system includes a power amplifier for two-way communication with the EM tool. The technology is particularly suited for drilling applications where mud-pulse technology is problematic, such as underbalanced drilling.

Basic research for the development of the data fusion technology was done under a co-operative grant from the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory as part of the “Deep Trek” initiative. The goal of that program was to develop technologies that lower the cost and improve the efficiency of drilling and completing deep wells. Sharewell’s data fusion system has completed nearly 1000 commercial wells to depths of more than 15 300 ft in the United States and Canada. For more information on GE’s Electro-Trac MWD technology, please watch this video.

Each year, OTC recognises innovative technologies that have industry-changing potential in the energy sector. The “Spotlight on New Technology Awards” showcase the latest and most advanced hardware and software solutions that are advancing the offshore exploration and production industry to new levels of safety, productivity and efficiency.